Testimony: Man accused in Webster shooting begged police to shoot him

Gary V. Murray TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Published Tuesday October 16, 2012 at 3:45 pm

Updated Tuesday October 16, 2012 at 11:16 pm

Alternately placing a 9 mm handgun to his temple and inserting the barrel of the weapon in his mouth, murder suspect William J. Goddard stood in a snow-covered field in Berlin on the afternoon of Jan. 28, 2008, and pleaded with police to shoot him, a Worcester Superior Court jury was told today.

The 42-year-old Mr. Goddard has raised an insanity defense to murder, kidnapping, assault and firearm charges stemming from the Jan. 28, 2008, shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Kelly Brackley, at Action Crash Parts, an auto body parts distributor at 14 Railroad Ave. in Webster where she worked.

Mr. Goddard, formerly of 8 Vivian St., is also charged with shooting, Ms. Brackley's boss, Yograj Shivdasani, with whom the 30-year-old mother of five was involved in a dating relationship. Mr. Shivdasani was shot in the arm.

The shootings occurred about 9 a.m. Mr. Goddard later drove his Ford Expedition to the Spencer home of his sister, Jody Brooks, and asked her if she could give him a ride to Worcester, explaining that he was having problems with his vehicle, according to Ms. Brooks, who testified today at her brother's trial.

Unaware that Mr. Goddard had been involved in a shooting, Ms. Brooks drove him to Worcester, where he was picked up by a friend, Rebecca MacDonald, who also said she knew nothing of the shootings.

Ms. MacDonald testified earlier in the trial that Mr. Goddard told her his SUV was being repaired and asked if she would give him a ride later to pick it up. She said she drove Mr. Goddard to her home in Berlin and described him as acting “loopy” and mumbling to himself while in her presence.

Ms. MacDonald said she received a telephone call from a friend, Tara Johnson, who asked her why police would have issued a BOLO (be on the lookout) for her car. Hearing her end of the conversation, Mr. Goddard ran down the stairs and out her basement door, according to Ms. MacDonald.

A manhunt involving state police helicopters and tracking dogs led to a field off Jones Road in Berlin, where Mr. Goddard was eventually located. Armed with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, Mr. Goddard engaged in a standoff with police.

“He was very emotional. He wanted us to shoot him. He wanted us to kill him,” testified Lt. Michael Domnarski, one of several members of the state police tactical operations unit who were at the scene.

The standoff ended and Mr. Goddard was taken into custody only after Sgt. James Nanof, a veteran state police crisis negotiator, offered to get the suspect a hot coffee. When Mr. Goddard bent over to pick up the cup of coffee, Lt. Domnarski shot him four times with a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with non-lethal “beanbag” ammunition.

Lt. Domnarski testified that the ammunition is designed to bring about “pain compliance” without inflicting serious injury. He said he was told during his training that being shot with the ammunition is akin to “getting hit with a major league fastball thrown by Roger Clemens.”

At one point during the negotiations, Sgt. Nanof said he told Mr. Goddard police wanted to hear his side of the story. He said Mr. Goddard, a self-employed disc jockey, responded that his side of the story was on a CD in his Ford Expedition.

Police later obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and recovered the CD.

A video of the standoff consisting of footage shot from two state police helicopters and a WBZ-TV news helicopter was played for the jury.

Also called to the stand today by Assistant District Attorney Thomas E. Landry was Angelina N. Croke, a special agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Ms. Croke, who said she knew Mr. Goddard in a professional capacity, but did not elaborate, testified that she received a call from him on her cellphone on the morning of the shootings.

The federal agent testified that Mr. Goddard told her he had confronted his ex-girlfriend at her workplace and believed he had shot her in the face and possibly shot others.

“I'm tired of everything. I can't take it anymore,” Ms. Croke said she was told by Mr. Goddard.

When she suggested Mr. Goddard turn himself in, he told her he would rather kill himself, according to Ms. Croke, who said she alerted authorities after receiving the call.

In his opening statement in the case, Mr. Goddard's lawyer, Michael P. Doolin, said the evidence would show his client was suffering from bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and the effects of a series of head injuries on the day of the slaying and that he lacked criminal responsibility for his actions.